Planning an event is never easy. It involves doing a lot of things right and to the point. Most event organizers find work stressful and are often overwhelmed by its intensity and enormity. It takes a lot of planning for an event to be successful and when the goal is to make it memorable, the effort can easily be multiplied. However, great results are also inevitable if you execute your event plans well and consider all things in detail. So instead of feeling preoccupied with the event ahead, you should look to expand preparedness so that the goal is achieved and the client is successfully delivered.
First, you need to start early when the event is large in nature, at least four to six months in advance for a large event and at least a month in advance for smaller events. It is also essential to complete all supplier contracts a few weeks before the event. Similarly, you need to stay flexible during the event planning stage, as certain changes are unavoidable and you need to be prepared for it. It’s always good to be prepared for any immediate changes to the schedule, time, location, or scale of the event. This will save you from disappointment and thus you will be able to prepare well for the event.
In addition, you must calculate the budget and do a cost analysis in advance so that your negotiations with the supplier follow the expected lines. There will be unexpected costs and once you know the budget in advance, you can negotiate with the supplier, offer to pay at least 5-10% less than the quoted prices to save money for the demands. More importantly, you should look to assign responsibilities to team members by dividing the event into different sections to make sure things go smoothly. It must also hold each team responsible for the acts and activities that correspond to their sections.
If possible, you should create a central document detailing each activity and giving access to all team members. Coordination between the team becomes easier when all key event-related details, including vendor contracts, floor plan, and attendance details, are listed in the document. In the meantime, to avoid unnecessary hassle, you should create a backup plan for the key aspects of the event. This will save you the inconvenience of last minute failures. Once everything is planned and organized, you should go through the entire process a week or two before the big day to make sure everything is moving smoothly.
Furthermore, it is always a good idea to capture the key things and details of the event in the image, and yes, you can also share those selections online to show the world your ability to host a great event. You should only hire a professional photographer to have the best possible shots taken, easily covering important aspects such as snapshot of the room full of guests, shots of the lights and meals and arrangements, etc. Here’s how you can brand the event, which in turn will help you win more customers.
Lastly, you should be looking to harness the power of social media to bring your event to thousands of people at virtually no cost. You can create a hashtag for your event on Facebook and Twitter to increase engagement. You can search for comments and conversations and then you can upload photos of events to give a clear picture of the things you did there. All of this will make your event stand out and be as memorable and effective as you planned it in the first place.